Down on the Farm: Coming out of a rain delay

Photographer Matt Smith will offer a season-long look at some of the people who keep the Pigs flying.Check back for more Down on the Farm features.

It was a wet start for the first game of a long homestand that saw the
Lehigh Valley IronPigs host the Indianapolis Indians Tuesday evening for a game
that did not begin at the scheduled 7:05 p.m.
start time.

Rain was in the area and fell heavy at times throughout the
afternoon, prompting the IronPigs staff to put the tarp on the field in advance
of the game.

With rain falling as the game was scheduled to start, most fans huddled in
the main concourse or under any cover they could find. Still, many remained in
their seats armed with umbrellas or ponchos determined to simply wait it out.

At 7:25 p.m., with the rain having
tapered off, a call for help came over staff radios and cellphones, and it was
all hands on deck to take the tarp off the field. From front office staff to
interns, everyone worked together to quickly get the field ready to start the
game. Over a dozen employees worked to pull the tarp in unison straight across
the field to dump all water that had collected on it and then fold it back over
before rolling it up to a round of applause from the crowd that made their way
to their seats.

Director of Field Operations Bill Butler orchestrated the removal and
promptly went to work to hose down the infield and repaint the foul lines as
many of the pre-game ceremonies were going on at the same time. It took less
than 30 minutes from the call to take off the tarp to the singing of the
national anthem, which led right into the first pitch of the night.